humanity [hju:ˈmænɪtɪ], creature [ˈkri: ʧə], fiend [fi: nd]
Cold sweat burst suddenly out on Balthus' skin. What new horror would come through that gate to make carrion-meat of his body? Sick panic assailed him and he strained futilely at his thongs. The night pressed in very black and horrible outside the firelight. The fires themselves glowed lurid as the fires of Hell. He felt the eyes of the Picts upon him — hundreds of hungry, cruel eyes that reflected the lust of souls utterly without humanity as he knew it. They no longer seemed men; they were devils of this black jungle, as inhuman as the creatures to which the fiend in the nodding plumes screamed through the darkness.
Zogar sent another call shuddering through the night, and it was utterly unlike the first cry (Зогар отправил еще один зов, вибрирующий в ночи, и этот был совсем непохож на первый крик). There was a hideous sibilance in it — Balthus turned cold at the implication (/там/ было мерзкое шипение в нем — Балтус застыл при осознании /того, что его ожидает/; implication — то, что подразумевается; подтекст; смысл). If a serpent could hiss that loud, it would make just such a sound (если бы змея могла шипеть так громко, она бы делала = издавала как раз такой звук).
implication [ɪmplɪˈkeɪʃn], such [sʌʧ], asound [əˈsaund]
Zogar sent another call shuddering through the night, and it was utterly unlike the first cry. There was a hideous sibilance in it — Balthus turned cold at the implication. If a serpent could hiss that loud, it would make just such asound.
This time there was no answer — only a period of breathless silence in which the pound of Balthus' heart strangled him (в этот раз не было ответа — лишь период бездыханной тишины, в которой стук сердца Балтуса подавлял его = оглушал его); and then there sounded a swishing outside the gate (а затем там раздался свист / шелест за воротами), a dry rustling that sent chills down Balthus' spine (сухое шелестение, которое вызвало: «послало» мурашки по позвоночнику Балтуса). Again the firelit gate held a hideous occupant (снова освещенные кострами ворота держали отвратительного обитателя = снова в освещенных кострами воротах был отвратительный гость).
period [pɪˈri: əd], breathless [ˈbreƟlɪs], occupant [ˈɔkjupənt]
This time there was no answer — only a period of breathless silence in which the pound of Balthus' heart strangled him; and then there sounded a swishing outside the gate, a dry rustling that sent chills down Balthus' spine. Again the firelit gate held a hideous occupant.
Again Balthus recognized the monster from ancient legends (снова Балтус узнал монстра из древних легенд). He saw and knew the ancient and evil serpent it (он видел и знал древнюю и зловещую змею) which swayed there (которая раскачивалась там), its wedge-shaped head, huge as that of a horse (ее клиновидную голову, огромную, как таковая = голова лошади), as high as a tall man's head (столь же высокую, как голова высокого мужчины), and its palely gleaming barrel rippling out behind (и ее бледно мерцающую тушу, струящуюся за ней). A forked tongue darted in and out, and the firelight glittered on bared fangs (раздвоенный язык /резко/ высовывался и исчезал внутри: «бросался внутрь и наружу», а свет костров сверкал на обнаженных клыках).
recognize [ˈrekəɡnaɪz], evil [ˈi: vl], huge [hju: ʤ]
Again Balthus recognized the monster from ancient legends. He saw and knew the ancient and evil serpent which swayed there, its wedge-shaped head, huge as that of a horse, as high as a tall man's head, and its palely gleaming barrel rippling out behind it. A forked tongue darted in and out, and the firelight glittered on bared fangs.
Balthus became incapable of emotion (Балтус стал неспособным на эмоции; to become — становиться). The horror of his fate paralyzed him (ужас от = перед его участью парализовал его). That was the reptile that the ancients called Ghost Snake (это была рептилия, которую древние называли Призрачным Змеем), the pale, abominable terror that of old glided into huts by night to devour whole families (бледный, гадкий ужас, который в прежние времена проскальзывал в хижины по ночам, /чтобы/ сожрать целые семьи). Like the python it crushed its victim (подобно питону, он сдавливал свою жертву), but unlike other constrictors its fangs bore venom that carried madness and death (но, в отличие от других констрикторов, его клыки имели яд, который приносил безумие и смерть; to bear — нести, иметь при себе). It too had long been considered extinct (он тоже давно считался вымершим). But Valannus had spoken truly (но Валаннус говорил правду). No white man knew what shapes haunted the great forests beyond Black River (ни один белый человек /не/ знал, какие формы обитали в огромных лесах за Черной рекой).
incapable [ɪnˈkeɪpəbl], abominable [əˈbɔmɪnəbl], devour [dɪˈvauə]
Balthus became incapable of emotion. The horror of his fate paralyzed him. That was the reptile that the ancients called Ghost Snake, the pale, abominable terror that of old glided into huts by night to devour whole families. Like the python it crushed its victim, but unlike other constrictors its fangs bore venom that carried madness and death. It too had long been considered extinct. But Valannus had spoken truly. No white man knew what shapes haunted the great forests beyond Black River.
It came on silently, rippling over the ground (он приближался безмолвно, струясь по земле), its hideous head on the same level (его отвратительная голова на одном и том же уровне), its neck curving back slightly for the stroke (его шея изогнута слегка назад для удара). Balthus gazed with a glazed, hypnotized stare into that loathsome gullet down which he would soon be engulfed (Балтус уставился безжизненным, загипнотизированным взглядом в эту мерзкую глотку, вниз = в которую он скоро будет заглочен = его скоро заглотнут), and he was aware of no sensation except a vague nausea (и он /не/ испытывал никаких ощущений, кроме смутной тошноты).
slightly [ˈslaɪtlɪ], loathsome [ˈləuðsəm], nausea [ˈnɔ: sjə]
It came on silently, rippling over the ground, its hideous head on the same level, its neck curving back slightly for the stroke. Balthus gazed with a glazed, hypnotized stare into that loathsome gullet down which he would soon be engulfed, and he was aware of no sensation except a vague nausea.
And then something that glinted in the firelight streaked from the shadows of the huts (и тогда что-то блеснуло в огне костров, метнувшееся из теней хижин), and the great reptile whipped about and went into instant convulsions (и огромная рептилия хлестнула /хвостом/ и забилась в мгновенных конвульсиях = мгновенно забилась в конвульсиях; to go into convulsions — забиться в конвульсиях). As in a dream Balthus saw a short throwing-spear transfixing the mighty neck (как во сне Балтус увидел короткое метательное копье, пронзившее могучую шею), just below the gaping jaws (чуть ниже разверстой пасти); the shaft protruded from one side, the steel head from the other (древко торчало с одной стороны, стальное острие с другой; to protrude — выдаваться, торчать).
streak [stri: k], jaws [ʤɔ: z], protrude [prəˈtru: d]
And then something that glinted in the firelight streaked from the shadows of the huts, and the great reptile whipped about and went into instant convulsions. As in a dream Balthus saw a short throwing-spear transfixing the mighty neck, just below the gaping jaws; the shaft protruded from one side, the steel head from the other.
Knotting and looping hideously, the maddened reptile rolled into the circle of men who stove back from him (извиваясь омерзительными узлами и петлями, обезумевшая рептилия закатилась в круг людей, которые отпрянули от нее; to stave — отпрянуть, отскочить). The spear had not severed its spine, but merely transfixed its great neck muscles (копье не перебило ее позвоночник, но лишь пронзило его огромные шейные мускулы). Its furiously lashing tail mowed down a dozen men (ее яростно хлещущий хвост скосил дюжину человек) and its jaws snapped convulsively, splashing others with venom that burned like liquid fire (а ее челюсти конвульсивно лязгали, забрызгивая других ядом, который жег, как жидкий огонь). Howling, cursing, screaming (воющие, проклинающие, вопящие), frantic, they scattered before it, knocking each other down in their flight (обезумевшие они разбегались перед ней, сбивая друг друга наземь в /своем/ бегстве), trampling the fallen, bursting through the huts (топча павших, прорываясь через хижины). The giant snake rolled into a fire, scattering sparks and brands (гигантский змей закатился в костер, разбрасывая искры и головни), and the pain lashed it to more frenzied efforts (а боль подхлестнула его к более бешеным усилиям; frenzy — безумие, бешенство; неистовство). A hut wall buckled under the ram-like impact of its flailing tail, disgorging howling people (стена хижины отступила под таранным ударом его молотящего хвоста, извергнув воющих людей; ram — баран; таран, стенобитное орудие).
knot [nɔt], venom [ˈvenəm], scatter [ˈskætə]
Knotting and looping hideously, the maddened reptile rolled into the circle of men who stove back from him. The spear had not severed its spine, but merely transfixed its great neck muscles. Its furiously lashing tail mowed down a dozen men and its jaws snapped convulsively, splashing others with venom that burned like liquid fire. Howling, cursing, screaming, frantic, they scattered before it, knocking each other down in their flight, trampling the fallen, bursting through the huts. The giant snake rolled into a fire, scattering sparks and brands, and the pain lashed it to more frenzied efforts. A hut wall buckled under the ram-like impact of its flailing tail, disgorging howling people.